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Show 450 REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. been engaged for five yearn or more in making their own living as a r d t of the edu-cation gven them by the Government schohls?" Dr. Merrill E. Gates considered this an unfair question b e w e of the compam-tively recent establishment of the schools. Supt. Russell Ratliff stated that whether or not the Indian should be sent out into the world on his menta is an open question. If he he able to stand an his merits, all right; if not, he should be treatedacwrdingly. A change of methods in India, education is hadly advisable at present. The Indian must not be hurried into civilization. Dr. Gateg mid that from our point of obsewatidn we see distinct pro ess in Indian education. &q the family is conceded to be the unit of civilization, anFas sound and true home life 1s the basis of national chamter, the tribe and tribal relation must go if civilization is to come. The reservation system is wrong. The pro er method is to give the Indian his property outright, let the consequences be wKat they may. Reservation hoa.rding and day schools and the Eastern boarding schools are steps m the right direcbon, the Eastern schoo!, probably, being the most helpful, as the Indian is thrown more among his white brothers. If we attempt to diswd the r w e r of Christianity, we shall fall short of our purpose. The doorto the true ideal as been opened by the missionaries. Dr. Gates then offered the following resolution: "Resolved That the true object of the Indian schools and of Indian management is to m m ~ l i s thh e release of the Indian from the slavery of tribal life and to estah-lish him in the self-supporting freedom of citizenship and a home in the life of the nation, and that whatever in our ~reaenstv stem hinders the attainment of this obi& should he changed." Mias Ross. Bourassa, of Ph&, &z., mid: "Send the Indian out where he has to make his own living, and that will be the best thing you can do for him. If tht is done, in a short time there will be no Indian question." F j o r Pratt then introduced the fallowing resolution: Resolved, That the public schools of the United States are fundamentally and su remely the Americanizers of all eople within our limits, and our duty to the 1n%ian requires that a11 Indian sehoofeffort should be directed toward getting the Indian youth into these schools." Mr. Reuben Wolfe, af Fort Hall, Idaho, was in favor of breaking np the tribal relation, and gave interesting eventa from his own history as actual experience upon which he based his conclusious with regard to the Indian. Dr. Gates pointed out the fact that the speaker who hsd preceded him was the best possible argument in support of his contention, thzt the Indian should he forced out into the actme life of the nation. W - " R e s o l v e d , That the present system of control of reservation boardin schools IS unsatisfactory, and that superintendenta of such schools should be bonded.$ The discussion was opened by Suit. D. D., McArthur, who gave the following reasons for favoring the adoption oft e resolution: 1. It is an inconsistency to place a superintendent where he can not superintend. 2. The union of a school with an agency is unfavorable to the school. 3. The fundamental cause for dissatisfaction is in relation to school property. 4. It is now difficult to maintain good disci line 5. A closer relation between the schools an8 thk~ndianO ffice is desirable. 6. The usual term of o5ce of an Indian agent is too short for good results, if he is s good man for the position, and too Ion if he is not. The following resolution was presentei by Major Pratt: " Whereaa local prejudice on the part of the whites against the Indians in the vicinity of every tribe and resewation issuch as to make attendance of Indian youth there impracticable; and "Whereas there is no prejudice preventing the attendance of Indian youth in such public schools as are remote from the tribes and reservations: Therefore Be it resolved, That it is the duty of the G o v e ~ e ntto establish industrial schools in well-populated districts as remote from the tnbe as possible, and it is hereby sug-ested that ten such schools be tentatively eptahlished at once, each with a. capacity for caring for 300 at the school, with the distlnct underatanding that each school shall cam 300 additional upils placed out in public schools, in families where the child shalrgive service in gomes to pay for their keep." After some debate this resolution was passed. Mr. H. E. Wilson, of Supai, Ariz., introduced the following resolution, which was passed: "Resolved, That the Government should provide immediately far the vaccination of all Indiana under Government control." |
